E-Liquid Poisoning

The other day, I was talking to a friend of mine (who vapes) about E-liquid poisoning. At first, she wasn’t completely sure what I was talking about.

“Do you mean vaping too much?” she asked, with a puzzled look on her face.

I proceeded to explain that people are really afraid of children, or pets, getting the bottles. Bottles of E-liquid that contain nicotine contain deadly amounts of the chemical if you ingest it, rather than vape it. The E-liquid (and the nicotine within it) is basically harmless when vaped safely, as the nicotine acts as a stimulant in such small doses.

In fact, nicotine is what gives cigarettes their addictive quality – and E-cigs can deliver it as well, which is part of what makes them such a suitable substitute for analog smoking products.

“You shouldn’t have it where kids can get it,” she continued, now realizing what I meant. “Who would be stupid enough to keep their E-liquid within reach of their children?”

The Truth About E-liquid Poisoning

This response, I have found, is actually pretty common among experienced vapers. Most of them are well-educated, and realize that nicotine poisoning (or E-liquid poisoning, which is the same thing when the nicotine is ingested via E-liquid) is a real danger that should be treated with real respect.

E-liquid, like any other dangerous liquid, should be stored somewhere up and out of the way, under lock and key – where pets and curious children will not be able to get their hands on them.

Information! Likewise, adults who handle these E-liquids should also exercise a great deal of caution. Mixing E-liquids, refilling vaping devices, and moving E-liquids from container to container can all expose the user to nicotine absorption via the skin if the E-liquid comes into direct contact with the fingers, hands, or arms.

Most E-liquid companies place warning labels on their products regarding this, but a surprising number of people do not heed the warnings. In fact, one news story (you can find the actual article here, on CNN.com) said that the number of children under the age of 6 who were poisoned by the nicotine found in E-cigs rose by nearly 1,500% between 2013 and 2015.

Of course, part of the reason for such a high percentage increase is probably due to the fact that, prior to 2013, vaping was more of an underground habit. But, it began to pick up some mainstream attention around that time, which put E-cigs and E-liquid in more homes (and in front of more children) than ever before.

But that doesn’t reconcile the damage that can be done by nicotine-infused E-liquids that are left out and around children… which is certainly not safe.

So What Do We Think Of This?

Our take on this story is this… that more education is required to equip vapers with the knowledge they need to stay safe(and to keep others safe) while handing their vaping supplies.

Most vapers are educated and knowledgeable enough to understand the need to keep E-liquids up and out of reach of children and pets at all hours of the day… but some still aren’t.

There are still a lot of people out there who will just buy a vape pen, fill it with E-liquid, and start vaping away… all without ever reading the warning labels or educating themselves about what constitutes as ‘safe use.’

And these people are doing two things. First, and most important, they are putting people at risk. And secondly, they are giving responsible vapers a bad name.

So let’s all try to spread the word… that E-liquid poisoning can happen, that it does happen, that it is dangerous, and that we can avoid it by putting away our vaping devices and E-liquids every time they are not in use.

Vaping can be a safe and awesome alternative to tobacco cigarettes – but not if E-cigs and E-liquids are handled irresponsibly. We, on this site, advocate safe and responsible vaping behavior – and believe that every responsible vaper would agree with us in saying that safety should always come first.

About The Author

NicoleIt's my passion to do the research about familiar to me topics, especially when it comes to electronic cigarettes and the whole vaping industry as such. I hope you will find my content useful and when / if you do - please do share it! I will appreciate it! :) See our ''Who We Are'' page to find out more about me and my colleagues. Thanks and I look forward to your comments and feedback.